The field of the present invention relates to optical telecommunication devices. In particular, apparatus and methods are described herein for micro-hermetic packaging of optical devices.
This application is related to subject matter disclosed in:
U.S. non-provisional App. Ser. No. 10/187,030 entitled “Optical junction apparatus and methods employing optical power transverse-transfer” filed Jun. 28, 2002 in the names of Henry A. Blauvelt, Kerry J. Vahala, David W. Vernooy, and Joel S. Paslaski, said application being hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein;
U.S. provisional App. No. 60/360,261 entitled “Alignment-insensitive optical junction apparatus and methods employing adiabatic optical power transfer” filed Feb. 27, 2002 in the names of Henry A. Blauvelt, Kerry J. Vahala, David W. Vernooy, and Joel S. Paslaski; and
U.S. provisional App. No. 60/334,705 entitled “Integrated end-coupled transverse-optical-coupling apparatus and methods” filed Oct. 30, 2001 in the names of Henry A. Blauvelt, Kerry J. Vahala, Peter C. Sercel, Oskar J. Painter, and Guido Hunziker.
Many types of optical devices are deployed in many different use environments for implementing an optical telecommunications system. The proper functioning and performance of these active and passive devices generally depend on isolating the devices from an uncontrolled use environment that might otherwise degrade the device and/or its performance and functioning. Devices are therefore hermetically packaged to reduce or eliminate the influence of an uncontrolled use environment on the device. Examples of active optical devices may include but are not limited to semiconductor lasers, electro-absorption modulators, electro-absorption modulated lasers, electro-optic modulators, semiconductor optical amplifiers, photodiodes and other photodetectors, N×N optical switches, and so forth. Examples of passive devices may include but are not limited to wavelength division multiplexers/de-multiplexers, wavelength division slicers/interleavers, wavelength division add/drop filters, other optical filters, splitters/combiners, interferometers, phase shifters, dispersion compensators, fixed or variable optical attenuators, and so forth. Use of such optical devices involves transferring optical power or optical signal between the device (within its package) and a transmission waveguide (part of the optical telecommunications system, often an optical fiber or other low-loss optical waveguide).
Conventional hermetic packaging for such optical devices is typically bulky and expensive to implement. Devices are typically packaged one-by-one only after fabrication, assembly, and testing/characterization of the individual devices. The package itself, including necessary optical and/or electrical feed-throughs, is often far more voluminous than the device itself (and the sensitive surfaces thereof that necessitate the hermetic package in the first place), the large packaged volume generally being forced by the nature of the packaging processes. Constraints imposed by the packaging process and/or materials often require compromises to be made in the optical design and/or configuration of the device, perhaps satisfying material compatibility and/or tolerance/stability requirements at the expense of optical device performance, for example. The packaging process is generally labor intensive, typically involving separate steps for positioning the device, establishing optical and electrical connections, and then sealing the package.